BJP sweeps, but Sibu’s back

Jharkhand polled on expected lines. The JMM-Congress alliance caved in with the BJP winning eight out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand. The election results were a setback for the RJD as well. The party lost both the Palamu and Chatra seats it had won in 2004.

The Congress managed to retain only the Ranchi seat won by Union minister Subodh Kant Sahai. Former external affairs minister and BJP candidate Yashwant Sinha won the Hazaribagh seat. Babulal Marandi's JVM could retain only the Koderma seat. Marandi won the seat defeating CPI (M-L) Liberation’s Raj Kumar Yadav. Two independent candidates, former chief minister Madhu Koda and former speaker Inder Singh Namdhari, have won.

JMM boss Sibu Soren has won from Dumka. He also won the Jamtara by-polls. However, Soren’s ill health and his son Durga’s rebellion took a toll on the party’s performance in the state.